Falling Into You
by crysthur and artheph
Summary: Extravagant displays of affection or a simple sign of love. Just some new and fresh situations. Series of unrelated one-shots. ShikamaruIno SasukeSakura NejiTenten KibaHinataNaruto
1. SI: You Complete Me

Artheph's Note: Oh my gaw. It's my FIRST Shikamaru/Ino only story. And considering it's my favorite couple…it's a big achievement. It greatly surprised me when Crysthur and I were talking about her Shikamaru/Ino chapter she's been trying to crank out for the past like four months that I hadn't written a story about them yet!! And what better place to put one than in a compendium of love stories? Anyway, hope you enjoy!

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**Shikamaru/Ino**

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Ino was pissed off…again. There was just no pleasing the woman. Shikamaru swore half the relationship consisted of him begging her forgiveness for who knows what. A simple "I'm REALLY SORRY" just didn't cut it anymore. Ino demanded more and more each time. So now Shikamaru had to, as Ino had so kindly shouted in his face, "THINK OF A GRANDMOTHER OF AN APOLOGY!!"

Shikamaru slapped his forehead, and the line "This is so troublesome" ran around in his head.

"Why did I get myself into this?" he whined to the clouds.

Wait a second…were the clouds…laughing at him? What was this? Was mother nature mocking his predicament? Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. No, it wasn't the clouds. It was …his dad.

"Hey boy," Shikato said, as he sat down next to his son on the grass.

"Hn."

"Heard about what you did to Ino."

Shikamaru sighed. No doubt Ino had told EVERYONE what a horrid, disgusting, cruel bastard her boyfriend was.

"What're you gonna do about it?"

"Dunno. I'm thinking maybe I'll never apologize. This relationship is just too troublesome." _Let's see how Dad will respond to that. Would he be AGHAST that I dare hurt her best friend's daughter? Would he be AGHAST that I, his son, am not as whipped as he? Or would he just…chuckle it off? Yeah, probably that last one._

Shikato chuckled. "You wouldn't back out of something after you put so much effort into it already. It'd just be a waste. You can't lie to your old man."

"Hmmph."

"So? What're you going to pull off?"

Shikamaru shrugged.

Shikato looked at his son, whose brow was furrowed in deep concentration. He knew Shikamaru's little thinking hand pose would be coming up soon. So, to prevent too much of a headache for his boy, Shikato decided to offer up some fatherly advice.

"You know, flowers aren't just for giving."

"What?"

"You're the genius. Think about it." Shikato stood up and instantly vanished.

Shikamaru muttered under breath about how his dad was no help at all as he flopped back down onto the grass. He resumed his cloud watching in hopes of inspiration. The fluffy cloud right above him took the shape of a flower. Slowly, a bit of the white mass drifted off, leaving a partial flower-shaped cloud intact.

Shikamaru grinned. "Flowers, eh?"

He watched the clouds a little longer before picking himself up to find Ino.

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"Ino," a familiar voice drawled.

"Hmmp." Ino ignored the man behind her.

"Inooo…"

She continued to ignore him.

"I'm really, really sorry."

"Go burn in hell."

"Ino, please."

She angrily turned around. "You know what, you little…"

Her eyes saw the flower Shikamaru was holding in front of him.

"You think ONE PUNY FLOWER will be enough? Look around you! We're _surrounded_ by flowers thousands of times more beautiful than THAT one!! It's not even a whole flower! What are you thinking?!"

Shikamaru held a finger to Ino's lips to quiet her.

"Shush."

Ino furiously glared back.

He cleared his throat, and in the deepest, sexiest voice he could produce, Shikamaru crooned, "Ino, you know I can't live without you. And let me show you why."

He once again held up the flower, which was missing a petal.

"This is me, without you. I'm not whole or complete. I'm missing something, like this flower is missing its petal."

Ino's eyes softened from the angry glare.

Shikamaru produced the missing petal from his pocket. Using his chakra, he reattached the petal, and the flower was made whole. It even seemed to beam in its completeness.

"And now, this is me, with you."

Shikamaru looked at Ino, his eyes full of hope that she had forgiven him after his little demonstration.

Ino became teary and flung herself upon Shikamaru.

"Ohhh!! THAT WAS SOO CUTE!!"

Shikamaru smirked. He had sufficiently melted Ino's heart, and it wasn't really that strenuous this time.

But then…Ino slapped his face.

"Wipe that damn smirk off your face! I'm still mad at you."

"WHAT?" Shikamaru was flabbergasted. His genius plan did not work? How could this be?

Ino grinned when she saw Shikamaru's shocked expression.

"Kiddin'." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and winked. "I'll see you later tonight."

And the smirk again found its way up onto Shikamaru's face.


	2. KH: Swimming in Roses

Artheph's Note: I do believe this is my first Kiba/Hinata one. Eeps! There aren't that many out there…and sorry to say, but they aren't as good as say, some of those brilliant Sasuke/Sakura ones. I mean, Crysthur never goes…OMG ARTHEPH YOU HAFTA READ THIS ONE KIBA/HINATA STORY I FOUND!!! Yeah, actually she's kinda adverse to this couple BECAUSE of the bad ones. So, I wrote this story IN HOPES OF CHANGING her opinion. She was still kinda ish-y though she liked the story, but that's just because she's hopelessly opinionated about some things. Eh…she will not like what I just wrote. But anyway, ENJOY!!

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**Kiba/Hinata**

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"Ne, Kiba."

"Yeah?"

"You really like that Hinata girl, doncha?"

"Err…I…"

Kiba's sister slapped him upside the head.

"Answer confidently!"

"Well, yeah, I like her a lot."

Her eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Prove it to me then."

Kiba's eyes narrowed. "I WILL. Now, get out of my room so I can think!"

"Think? You? Don't make me laugh." Kiba's sister smirked as she left the room.

"Hrmph. C'mon Kiba. You can do this. YOU SO CAN DO THIS!"

He was about to jump up and punch the air for motivation, but he realized that would not be a good move. So Kiba opted to flop himself upon his bed and stare at the ceiling for inspiration.

"Think! Think!"

Akamaru barked.

"Shush, Akamaru. I need to think right now."

But Akamaru barked again.

"Akamaru! What did I just tell you?"

And Akamaru barked, yet again. However, the little dog also dropped something on Kiba's chest.

Kiba sat up and looked at the object, which had fallen onto his lap.

"A rose?"

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"Hinata!" Kiba called out from within a heavy crowd in the streets of Konoha.

Hinata turned around to search for the source of the voice. She smiled when she saw Kiba frantically waving his arms.

"Hey!" She shouted back, just as loud.

Her stuttering phase of the old genin days was long gone. Hinata had grown into a proud and confident Hyuuga, whom most acknowledged respect towards. And yet, she still had her insecurities. She often worried about her relationship with Kiba. Would it always stay like this? How would her family react? Kiba loved her, right? The worrying must have been a leftover from her timid, vulnerable self.

Kiba had planned everything flawlessly. Everything was in place, and they were even in a crowded area! Perfect for his loud personality. And he knew Hinata had learned to yearn for attention, almost as much as he does. Everyone would see his grand proclamation of love, which would definitely convince his sister. Woah…love? Did he? Kiba firmly nodded to himself. Underneath his cute boyish looks and brash actions, he knew he felt that strong, mature emotion towards a certain colorless-eyed girl.

Hinata was approaching him.

"Akamaru!" Kiba ordered. His faithful dog responded with a bark and trotted off through the streets.

"Where's Akamaru going?" Hinata asked.

"You'll see."

Suddenly, hundreds of little paws could be heard pounding through the alleys and streets. Gasps, indignant shouts, and all around shock came from the surrounding people. Dogs were running towards Kiba and Hinata from all directions.

Hinata held a hand to her mouth to cover her expression of surprise. Was this all for her? From Kiba?

Each dog left a red rose in front of Hinata, creating a huge pile of pure red. As they cleared out, up came Akamaru, strutting along with the ever important last rose. He offered it to Hinata with his mouth. When she took it, Akamaru barked happily and licked her hand. Giggling, Hinata ruffled the fur on the dog's head.

"Akamaru! You're not supposed to take all the attention," Kiba protested, in mock indignation.

Hinata straightened and looked at Kiba.

"Thank you."

Her insecurities vanished. She knew everything would be right as she held that last rose, the lone white rose, with the red ocean in front of her.

"Y'know, white suits you," Kiba murmured, after kissing the back of Hinata's free hand.


	3. SS: Our Dance

Artheph's Note: Of course, no compendium of love stories of ours would be complete without a Sasuke/Sakura story!! Wow it was pretty insane how fast I wrote these over Thanksgiving break. See, Crysthur was off frolicking in San Diego with her cousins, leaving me bored. Very bored. Crysthur and I usually stay up until like 1 AM in the morning fanfictioning, writing, and just chatting. But if she was in San Diego, and I was at home…THERE WAS NO ONE FOR ME TO TALK TO. And plus, my sister was home, and she was hogging the computer. So, in my loner-ness without DEAR CRYSTHUR to talk to, I wrote the Kiba/Hinata one AND this one in a span of like 2 hours I believe. But it felt good to get it alllll out. So, enjoy! And yes, I know it's mightily short.

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Sasuke/Sakura 

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"Sasuke-kun, you won't leave me, will you?"

"Sasuke-kun, you wouldn't abandon me, would you?"

"Sasuke-kun, you'll be here forever, right?"

Sakura constantly barraged him with these questions, as if she wouldn't believe she had finally obtained the coveted treasure of her childhood dreams.

Their relationship was chaste. In fact, the only public displays of affection were the occasional holding of hands and when Sasuke would wrap an arm around Sakura's waist protectively if the guys came too close.

This is what fed Sakura's fears. She was afraid Sasuke didn't want to get too attached, in case he had to leave. Sasuke wanted to reassure her that wasn't true, but he didn't know how.

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A festival was being held in Konoha to celebrate the newly arrived peace. Laughter tinkled through the air, music resounded loudly, and people were everywhere, dancing, eating, and talking.

"C'mon, dance competition!" Naruto yelled out, with his usual rambunctious cheer.

"Let's join, Sasuke!" Sakura said.

"Eh.."

"Scared you'll lose to ME?" Naruto prompted.

"Feh, like I'd ever lose to you, baka."

Their rivalry was still alive and well.

The music started. Their bodies moved to the beat; their motions were sensual and graceful. All they heard was the sound of the music pounding in their ears and the sound of each other's breathing when they pulled close.

This was the loosest and most intimate the couple had ever been in the open. But they didn't notice as the boy only concentrated on the girl, and the girl only focused on the boy.

The others paused as they noticed the two. They soon created a circle around Sasuke and Sakura, in awe of their most public display since their relationship began and, of course, in awe of their mad dancing skills.

The music ended as Sakura arched her back over Sasuke's lowered arm. When he pulled her to a standing position, her breathing quickened from not only the strain of their fast-paced dance, but also from the sudden close proximity.

Sasuke cupped Sakura's cheek and gently moved his thumb over her white skin in a smooth arc. A smile could be seen in her eyes as his lips met hers. Their first kiss. It was simple, not overly dramatic, not overly passionate. But it was perfect. The crowd erupted into cheers.

"Sakura, I would never leave you."


	4. NT: Fear of Commitment

Artheph's Note: This doesn't really have to do with a GRAND DISPLAY of love or a simple show of affection. But, hell, it was a romance, so WHY NOT put it in here. This is one of my darker and deeper stories, you could say. I mean, compared to say, "New and Improved" or "If Only," heck yeah. Oh, the description of Neji and Tenten might be a little off…considering I have never experienced the same things as they have…not that they're real or anything. So if you think it's immature or TOTALLY OFF, then too bad. Enjoy!

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Neji/Tenten 

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"Neji…why are we afraid of commitment?"

They sat in their favorite training grounds with the moonlight spilling onto them through a space between the treetops. She was lying down, her head on his lap. He was staring ahead, absently playing with her brown hair that she had finally let down.

"Shall I repeat the same excuse?"

"Why not."

"It must be because we're ninjas. We're too afraid to get attached because face it, you and I could be gone the very next day. There's no point. And who would want to bear that pain, feel the worry, and live life in paranoia?"

Tenten was silent as Neji's words washed over her. That's what he told her every time she asked that question. She usually let it persuade her and quell all her doubts. And tonight was no different.

Neji was the master in the game of love. He was the controller in all his relationships. He could manipulate, overpower, and seduce. And if Neji was the master, Tenten was the mistress. The bat of an eyelash, the beckoning finger, and the sweep of shoulder-length hair were her favorite strategies. Their reputations were famous throughout the Fire country. Women and men came from various places in hopes to tame the fierce lion and the cunning lioness. But no one succeeded; Neji and Tenten always emerged triumphant.

The two had probably exhausted the entire village of Konoha. Nobody could resist their looks, charms, and skill. Of course, there were those who were off limits. For Tenten, Sasuke was a major no. Not only did he have Sakura written all over him, she didn't want to look like another mere member of that fan club of his, even though it probably would have been a fun challenge to dance in the fires with him. So if Tenten couldn't date Sasuke, Neji couldn't have a go at Sakura. It wasn't just because Sasuke already had her…pink just didn't suit Neji. And _of course_, Hinata was out of the question. The thought of incest was disgusting. Hey, Hyuuga Neji still had his morals. But the one guy and the one girl who were probably the most off limits? Each other. Sure, they were the best of friends. Nothing could separate them, except when they were off playing a game of love. They just had that mutual understanding and respect for how they led their lives. To even contemplate getting together would throw off that delicate balance that had taken so long to strengthen and took so much pain to keep.

Tenten looked up at Neji. If anyone else saw them like this, he or she would have definitely thought the two were finally together. Yet, though they went beyond the limits of friendly closeness, there was nothing between them. They were just so used to touch and the warmth of another body. Hell, they craved it. It was another side effect of being a ninja. Having to be so distant and emotionless for the majority of the day left a desire, a need to be held and even falsely loved. These two didn't care how they got it or who it came from. They just needed it to get through the night and the rest of their lives.

"I've got a date."

"Me too."

"Wanna bet again?"

"Might as well make it interesting."

"Alright. Whoever gets to the bed by ten wins."

Neji looked down at the girl who was his best friend and most likely the only one who understood him.

"Sure."

The two left on their separate paths.

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As Tenten was waiting at a restaurant, she heard some squealing girls gossiping at a nearby table.

"Oh God, have you SEEN Hyuuga Neji?"

"I know! I could just faint from the sexiness he exudes!"

"He MUST be using some sort of technique! Like a …oh, I dunno, Seductive no Jutsu!"

"Seductive no Jutsu? That's WAY lame!"

Tenten snickered to herself. That's the best they could come up with? Seductive no Jutsu? She probably would have busted up laughing had her date not just arrived.

Putting on a charming smile, she greeted him.

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Neji was walking towards the designated place for his date, but his mind was on a conversation he had earlier in the day.

"Sweet Kami-sama! Neji, I have NO idea what to do with you! Off you go every night, frolicking with a new girl each time! You have a reputation to uphold as a possible heir to the clan! So you had better stop you foolishness, or the Elders will never accept you at this rate!"

"Is that all you have to say, Uncle?"

"Dammit, Neji! If you keep up with this insolence, I'll have to arrange a marriage!"

"Che. Then I'd rather not be the heir."

"Nejiii!" a high-pitched voice called from behind him.

His date latched onto his arm.

Dismissing his thoughts, Neji led her into teahouse.

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The two were once again sitting in the moonlight, but this time, side by side.

"So? Did you do it by ten?"

"No. I wasn't in the mood."

"Hm. I wasn't either."

"…"

"Neji…why are we afraid of commitment?"

"Shall I repeat the same excuse?"

"No." Tenten shook her head. "No, it's just not enough anymore. I can't help but wonder and question what we're doing to ourselves." She turned to look at the man sitting beside her. "Is this what we really want?"

Neji looked into her doubting eyes. He cupped her chin and brought her face dangerously close to his.

"You don't want this kind of life anymore?"

"No…" she whispered.

Her breath reached his lips.

"Then I don't either."

Tenten couldn't suppress her grin. "You're not gonna pull a Seductive no Jutsu, are you?"

Neji paused in confusion but quickly caught on. "I don't think I'll need to."

And his lips touched hers.

But it wasn't just to satisfy desire or just to play a game. This was real; this was true.

They weren't afraid anymore.


	5. SI: Mistletoe

Artheph's Note: I couldn't let Christmas go without a Christmas story! Yeah, we were going to have this whole…Christmas shindig with some possible gift swapping and such. Like our Halloween story. But…we were FAR too lazy, and I already had this idea planned out since the beginning of December. So, this is the holiday-themed story for the year! Enjoy!

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Naruto/Hinata, Neji/Tenten, Sasuke/Sakura, Shikamaru/Ino…and one line of Iruka/girl from the Ichiraku stand

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The holiday season finally arrived in Konoha. Children were skating on the frozen lake in the forest and couples walked along the snow-covered paths. Lights were strewn across the roofs; ornaments were hung on trees; white snow was falling onto the ground. But most importantly, mistletoe hung in the doorways.

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Naruto had come over to the Hyuuga household to pick up Hinata for the Christmas party. After kissing the unsuspecting girl under the first doorway with mistletoe, Naruto suddenly came up with a rather brilliant idea…at least for him. He began to pull Hinata in and out of the numerous rooms in the Hyuuga mansion just for a chance to run under some mistletoe. Though it was a little tiring running in and out of rooms, dodging passing Hyuugas, and avoiding Neji and Hiashi, Hinata didn't mind when she felt Naruto's lips upon hers.

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Naruto and Hinata didn't have to worry about bumping into Neji at the Hyuuga's mansion, however, since Neji was currently leaning against a lamppost with the snow falling around him. He was waiting for Tente to meet him to go to the party Tsunade was holding for the village.

"She's late," he said out loud to no one in particular.

"Actually, I'm right here," Tenten replied from behind.

She was smirking and holding something behind her back.

"What're you holding?" Neji asked after he turned around to look at her.

In response, she raised her arm and held a green something above their heads.

Neji looked up. After identifying the object, he grinned.

"I see," and he promptly pulled her close for a kiss.

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Sasuke knocked on Sakura's door.

After hearing running feet and the unlatching of locks, Sasuke found himself in a sudden deep kiss with Sakura.

When their lips parted, the surprised boy asked, "What was that for?"

Sakura smiled and pointed upwards. "Mistletoe."

"Aa," he said after glancing up. "Well, we're still under it, aren't we?"

And he gave her another kiss.

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Tsunade's Christmas party was a loud and merry affair. Everyone had been invited. Music was playing, and the couples were dancing. Or at least, that's what Shikamaru and Ino were doing. Naruto and Hinata had merely moved the "run in and out of doorways" from the Hyuuga place to the Hokage tower. Neji and Tenten had just pulled their chairs into a doorway since the beginning of the party. Sasuke and Sakura were being a little more discreet, as Sasuke skillfully maneuvered Sakura under every mistletoe possible whilst sweeping across the dance floor.

Even Iruka, their former rule-following and strict teacher, had noticed and in mock disdain, commented to his date, Ayame from the Ichiraku stand, "Can you believe the children these days?" But he immediately forgot his previous chain of thoughts when he saw the mistletoe hanging above them. Well, you have to uphold tradition, right?

Artheph's Note: I really have no idea whether the girl from the ramen stand is Ayame. It might have just been this one fanfiction…

So, Shikamaru and Ino were the only ones truly dancing. Strangely enough, Shikamaru had not given Ino a kiss at all the whole night. It was as if the boy had slyly avoided every single mistletoe and would even pull Ino away if they were dancing too close to a doorway. It was all rather fishy, Ino was thinking. Well, she had enough of it. The night was more than half over and yet, _still_ no kiss.

Ino abruptly dropped her arms from their perch on Shikamaru's shoulders.

"Shikamaru!" she hissed in a relatively high voice so that the people near them could hear.

Surprised, Shikamaru asked, "What's wrong, Ino?"

"You! You haven't kissed me ONCE tonight, and I have a suspicion you've been purposely avoiding the mistletoe!"

_So, she noticed_, Shikamaru thought. He caught his smirk before it unfolded itself upon his face.

"What're you talking about, Ino?"

"You jerk!" She pushed him and turned away.

Okay, he hadn't been expecting that.

"Ino."

Holding her shoulders, Shikamaru turned her around.

"It's because I don't need some silly thing like mistletoe to be able to express my love for you."

And he kissed her right then and there, in the middle of the room, with no mistletoe in sight.


	6. NT: Anniversary

Artheph's Note: No worries! I have not died under the evil pressing pressures of school. In fact, I'm very much alive, hating school with ALL MY MIGHT. Wow, I haven't written anything…in a really long while. BUT I churned out this instead of doing some journal responses for English…one of which was calling out to be done LAST Saturday. Whoopsies. I'll do that…uh…tomorrow. Heh. BUT anyway, I must warn you, this one-shot/chapter is kinda OOC and REALLY RANDOM. Like random to the quadruple. In fact, it should be called a crack!story…cuz I think I WAS on crack when writing it. Not like I'm advocating taking drugs or anything…but, ENJOY!

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Neji/Tenten

* * *

"Look at that big, bright sun shining ever so brilliantly down upon us! Look at that be-a-uuutiful butterfly flying towards me! Ah, I'm just the happiest anything can ever be!" a flower with white splotches on its pale blue petals yelled aloud to itself. 

It seems the flower has been infected by Lee's infectious happiness when he had been bounding through the fields earlier during the wonderfully sunny day.

"Oh the joys of being alive! The clouds, the sky, the birds, the leaves, the grass! The air I'm breathing! The sugars I'm producing through photosynthesis! Merry!"

Shouts were heard in the near distance.

"Springtime! Youth! Is that a happy battle nearby? A perfectly friendly, happy battle? Yay!"

A kunai suddenly flew straight down into the middle of the ex-joyous flower with white splotches on its pale blue petals.

Its last thought was, "Damn."

"How could you not remember!" a furious girl screamed.

"It's our twentieth one-week anniversary!" her prey, a now very pale boy, shouted back.

"Nooo! You're wrong!" She threw another set of kunai at him.

Neji dodged the oncoming barrage of weapons. This was not good for his health. Especially since he had just come out of the hospital after breaking several ribs and a left forefinger during a mission.

"It's our fifth four-week anniversary!" he tried.

"Dumbass!" More hurling of various sharp metal objects.

"It's our 152 day-th anniversary!"

His only-slightly-conscious-demure-logical-mind questioned, "Is day-th even a word?"

His very-conscious-fear-sensing-part-of-the-mind answered, "Who the hell cares!"

"Argh!" Tenten snarled.

"It's our thirty-eighth four-day anniversary!"

This one didn't even deserve a vocal response. Instead, Neji got a nice, big fuuma shuriken thrown towards his right shoulder.

He was running out of ideas.

"It's our five-month anniversary!"

"Oh, so NOW you remember."

Neji breathed a sigh of relief and asked himself whether there were any benefits to having a psychotic-ninja-girlfriend-with-really-good-aim who was able to think of the most random anniversaries for every single day of the year. After learning the consequences of not remembering their third second one-day anniversary, he had to spend every night thinking of possible combinations for the next day.

Tenten walked up to Neji, unexpectedly emanating a completely different aura from the battle-crazy-and-absolutely-livid-ness she had before. Neji looked on curiously as she smiled sweetly and took a small brown tube from her pocket.

"Chocolate lip gloss?" Neji's only-slightly-conscious-demure-logical-mind asked.

"CHOCOLATE lip gloss!" all-the-other-parts-of-Neji's-mind responded.

See, another one of Tenten's obsessive compulsive quirks is having a huge assorted array of different flavored lip glosses. And after a number of kisses, Neji learned that certain flavors actually tasted like their namesakes.

Tenten applied the lip gloss to her lips, blinked prettily, and proceeded to give Neji a deep, pleasurable kiss until they were both breathless.

"Ah, so there's one benefit," Neji's now-more-conscious-demure-logical-mind remarked.


	7. SI: Crazy Mad In Love

Artheph's Note: Ahh…original poem time! Actually, I've been writing a number of poems recently…mostly for people's birthday cards. Heh. Crysthur says they're good, so that gives me a lot of encouragement. smiles widelyBut I couldn't leave this poem by itself …without NARUTO-FYING it. Pwahaha. So…here we have a ...poem fic then? Anyway, just some hopefully enjoyable Shikamaru/Ino fluff. Enjoy!

Shikamaru/Ino

_I'm crazy mad in love with you._

When Ino realized she had never loved Sasuke, she declared to a busy street in Konoha that Sakura could go suck that clinically depressed's face off, and she wouldn't give a damn.

_Let me caress your hands with my lips._

_Let me run my fingers through your soft hair._

_Let me feel your body against my own._

He knew a door had opened. But Shikamaru's a reaction-type of guy. He waits for other people's offensives and then cautiously reacts. So he let Chouji go through first. But when he asked his best friend how their relationship was going, Chouji replied, "She opened the door for someone else."

Maybe Shikamaru didn't take the hint, despite his inordinate amount of intelligence. Or maybe he didn't want to.

_I'm crazy mad in love with you._

_And when you said you loved me,_

_Your lips, your eyes, it was all I saw._

Then one day, she boldly strode up to him with a clear goal set in mind. The way she proudly held her head up high; the way her hips swayed when she fearlessly walked. Oh, he loved her. But when she was about to say those very three words, she faltered. She tried, she really did.

Seeing those tears of failure threatening to fall as she opened her mouth to give it one last shot, he stopped her. It was time, he knew. Her eyes had said it all.

"I love you, too."

_Everything else was just a blur._

The feel of her arms, her warm breath, her soft lips, her smooth skin. It was all he remembered after that. But it was enough.

_I felt tense, I felt free,_

_I felt wild, I felt at home._

_I'm crazy mad in love with you._

_And after you said you loved me,_

_I'd get feverish at the thought of you._

_I'd wanna cry, I'd wanna smile when I'd hear your voice._

_My heart, it'd flutter when I read your name._

And whenever he saw her again, he felt like he was hit by this suffocating hold that handicapped his sight, hearing, breathing, and reasoning. In that thick, smoky fog that surrounded him, all he could see were her eyes and all he could hear was her voice.

When he told her about it, he thought she would just laugh it off. Instead, she looked at him, her blue eyes serious, and said she felt the exact same way.

_I'm crazy mad in love with you._

_And you're crazy mad in love with me too._


	8. NT: Scheme

Artheph's Note: Ah, it's more crack-ish Neji/Tenten. Actually, I had this story/chapter up for like a month...I just kinda forgot to upload it. Heh. Anyway, this was going to start out as some really deep (or as deep as I can get) drabble, but then it sorta just evolved into this...humor thing. So...here we have a deep beginning, humor middle, and deep ending. Good stuff. Or at least, I hope you think so. Enjoy! Oh, and I know Crysthur and I have never mentioned this...but we REALLY DO appreciate your reviews. And yeah, we actually never review ourselves, but we REALLY DO APPRECIATE all the hard work you guys take to send in a review. Cheers!

* * *

They unconsciously agreed to take a breather from their training. She was kneeling on the ground having landed in that position after her attack. He had his hands on his knees to support his fatigued body. They both glanced up at the same time, and their eyes caught each other. 

She was unconfined like the breeze swimming in the air. She was carefree like the birds lazily soaring in the sky.

She was everything he couldn't be, he thought.

He had strength like a chivalrous knight leading the company to battle. He had pride like a lion cub scaring its first prey.

He had everything she couldn't have, she thought.

But enough with all this sentimental jazz. We shall now zoom in on the tree to the right of their training ground. Particularly, the back of the tree.

"Lee, don't drop the recorder!" Gai fiercely whispered to his beloved favorite.

"Sorry, Gai-sensei! Should I play it now?" Lee was about to press the button.

"No, no!" Gai quickly slapped away Lee's hand. "Remember, when one of them _leaves_! Stick to the game plan!"

"Sorry, Gai-sensei! I will do my best!"

Tenten suspiciously glanced at the whispering tree. Both she and Neji knew Lee and Gai had been hiding behind the tree for the past fifteen minutes, but they chose to ignore the duo's newest strange habit. However, maybe now was the time to find out just what the flamboyant sensei and aspiring student had in mind.

"Lee, Gai-sensei, you can come out now."

Lee ogled. "She knew?"

Gai, pretending he had known that they really had no chance of going unnoticed, jumped from behind the tree, "Of course she knew! She was taught by ME after all!"

"What are you doing?" Neji asked.

"Oh no! Our brilliant plot!" Lee gasped.

"Hurry, change of plans! Follow my lead," Gai told Lee, as if Neji and Tenten weren't standing in front of them, listening to their every word.

He cleared his throat. "We have something very, very important for you young blossoming youths. Ready, Lee?"

"Roger!" Lee pushed the play button.

"Oh Tenten! If only thou knewest the love that blossomeths from the deep well that is my heart! Thy overwhelming beauty is just heavenly!" a voice that sounded like it was supposed to be masculine but turned out raspy and scratched instead came from the recorder.

"Who is that?" Tenten asked, distrustfully.

"Why, it's NEJI!" Gai and Lee cheered.

"WHAT?" Neji burst out, astounded. They must have been on crack. Old, molding crack. That was SO not him. In fact, if you cocked your head to the left and cupped your ear, it sounded almost like Gai.

"There's more!"

"Oh Tenten! I lamenteth the state that I dwellest. Thou, thou art so free, free like a fish in the vast ocean. So freeth, unlike me. Alas, I am cagedest. Would thoust unbind me from my prison?" again the faux voice spoke.

Strangely enough, that was rather close to Neji's sentiment. He narrowed his eyes. How the heck could the feather-brained, to put it lightly, Gai and Lee ever know what he was actually thinking? They were so going down.

"Ah, never fear, Neji. Your feelings are reciprocal!"

"Oh Neji! I dreamest of thou dayeth and nighteth! The sight of everything bringeths thy name to my mind, and I cherish it dearlyest!" a poorly imitated high-pitched voice screeched out.

Holding her hands to her ears in an attempt to block out the sound, Tenten exclaimed, "What the hell is that?"

"It's you, Tenten! Proclaiming your love to the bright skies!"

She blanched. Neji wasn't so stupid as to fall for Gai and Lee's little scheme, right? That was _totally_ Lee trying to sound like a girl! And she was positive that the first voice had been Gai, though a tiny, tiny part of her heart distractedly thought that, well, it would be comforting if Neji felt that way … just not in that exact wording.

"Oh dearest Neji! Thy strength I envy, but admirest even more so! I knowest thou can alwayst protect me; thus, I feel secureth and warmth whenever around thou."

The color was rapidly coming back to Tenten's cheeks. Though she never spoke in dramatic Shakespearean, that was more or less her thoughts. How did they know? She never told anyone; she never wrote it down in some lame, girly diary. Gai and Lee were so going down.

Neji and Tenten briefly looked at each and then went into action.

As Neji ran at the green-flanked pair, Tenten threw her trusty set of various kunai, shuriken, and senbon. Gai and Lee were forced to duck, leaving their tape recorder vulnerable. Summoning chakra to his palm, Neji jyuuken-ed the tape recorder to a pitiful demise. Oh, but even though the evidence was obliterated, there was still more to come. As Tenten started up her soushouryu, Neji used his kaiten, forcing Tenten's weapons to fly around even more haphazardly. Gai was only able to think to himself, "So this is what they've been practicing during their training," before he and Lee had to frantically run off for cover.

Neji smirked as he surveyed the damage. Tree branches were hewn off, sharp metal covered the ground, and two distinct trails, made by his sensei and teammate, led towards the village.

Then, holding out his hand to Tenten, he asked, "Want some ramen?"

"Sure," she grinned as their fingers touched.

She was everything he couldn't be, he thought.

He had everything she couldn't have, she thought.

So, they molded into one.


	9. SS: Phantom Image

Artheph's Note: Yeah, so I had this crazed, messed up ending for this one, but Crysthur persuaded me to not be…so crazed and messed up. Instead, I thought of a semi-corny little thing. Eh, it's doable. If you really wanna read my other ending, which even weirded me out, feel free to drop a note in a review. +D Notice my pathetic attempt to get more people to review. /is ashamed with self/ Anyway, enjoy! Oh by the way, Crysthur and I are on spring break (FINALLY!), so hopefully we'll get TONS more writing done. Tons, as in dusting off all our dusty old stories and making them bright and shiny and ready to post!

* * *

He was standing in the open-air train station, feeling like he was waiting for something important to happen. And out of the blue, she appeared in the crowd before him. She was looking towards the train schedule on their left, but he could only catch glimpses of her white skin and green eyes through the torrent of pink hair. 

He blindly ran, in hopes of reaching her.

"Sakura! Wait!"

She didn't turn at the sound of his voice.

In his rush, he didn't see the man coming at him. They collided, and he took his eyes off her for a few to help the other stand up. When he looked back up, she was gone, like a phantom image.

As he turned around, he caught random sights of pink hair, pale skin, and green eyes. It was impossible that she could be everywhere at the same time. His vision was fooling him; yet, he couldn't shut his eyes to block it out. He had to find her.

He suddenly saw her across the platform. Her skirt fluttered around her legs. Her hair, moving with the breeze, covered her pale visage. He couldn't see her green eyes.

He cautiously started to cross the platform, but a train came rushing by. He had to wait.

In the gap between the last two cars, he saw her again. She was turning towards him. He was about to eagerly call out for her when he saw her eyes.

Her red eyes with three black commas swirling into a perpetual circle.

* * *

Sasuke, shaken from his dream, gasped for air as he sat up.

"Sasuke-kun, are you alright?"

Reassuring hands rubbed his tense shoulders.

"It's okay. Itachi's gone."

Yeah, that's right.

Naruto had killed him.

Yeah, that's right.

Naruto had robbed Sasuke of his oh so craved revenge.

Yeah, that's right.

Sasuke pressed his fist into the mattress.

Her hands stopped as she whispered in his ear, "Come on, we should get some more sleep before he wakes up."

Yeah, that's right.

Even though Sasuke didn't get the thrilling, dramatic battle he had dreamed of when he was younger, and even though Itachi's eyes still haunted him at night, he liked to think he had, in a way, foiled his brother's plan.

He glanced to the dresser on his right. On top sat two photographs, framed in mahogany wood. One was the famed picture of Team 7 in their youthful genin days. The other was of Sakura and their baby boy, whose smiling green eyes made Sasuke forget those fiery red ones that haunted him not so long ago.


End file.
